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ALLOT TECH5 GALLONWATERFilling machine solutions

BPH and business-stage planning

5 Gallon Filling Line Capacity Guide

BPH means bottles per hour, but rated BPH is not the same as daily saleable output. Convert the reference rate through operating hours, expected efficiency, cleaning time and working days before choosing an automation level.

18.9L ≠ 20LReturnable + one-way pathsConfirmed / Reference / TBC
ALLOT TECH / LARGE-FORMAT WATERSYSTEM
5 gallon water bottle washing filling and capping equipment reference
Real equipment reference. Final configuration is project-specific.

Decision summary

Use this page when the decision matches your project

BPH means bottles per hour, but rated BPH is not the same as daily saleable output. Convert the reference rate through operating hours, expected efficiency, cleaning time and working days before choosing an automation level.

Suitable for
  • Buyers sizing a first large-bottle machine
  • Existing operations deciding when to automate
  • Delivery businesses matching machine output to route demand
Not suitable for
  • Using catalog model names as guaranteed output
  • Ignoring wash cycles and bottle rejects
  • Sizing only for one peak day
Required inputs
  • Rated or target BPH
  • Production hours per day
  • Estimated line efficiency
  • Working days and future growth

Interactive tool 01

Daily Output Calculator

Formula: bottles/day = rated BPH x net production hours/day x effective output factor. Monthly output multiplies by working days. Exclude planned cleaning and breaks from the hours; do not deduct the same time again in the percentage.

Catalog-backed reference

QGF data shown with its evidence boundary

The table is useful for comparison but does not replace a configuration-specific quote.

QGF catalog reference - 18.9L; diameter 270 x 490 mm. Allot Tech Beverage Bottling Catalog 2026, QGF parameter table (PDF page 22).
ModelHeadsCapacityAir pressureAir useMotor powerVoltageWeightStatus
QGF-100160-100 b/h0.4-0.6 MPa0.37 m3/min1.38 kW380 V / 50 Hz680 kgReference
QGF-2402100-240 b/h0.4-0.6 MPa0.37 m3/min1.75 kW380 V / 50 Hz800 kgReference
QGF-3003250-300 b/h0.4-0.6 MPa0.6 m3/min3.8 kW380 V / 50 Hz1500 kgReference
QGF-4504400 b/h0.4-0.6 MPa0.8 m3/min3.8 kW380 V / 50 Hz2100 kgReference
QGF-6008800 b/h0.6 MPa1 m3/min7.5 kW380 V / 50 Hz3000 kgReference - conflict flagged
QGF-9008800 b/h0.6 MPa1.5 m3/min9.75 kW380 V / 50 Hz3500 kgReference - conflict flagged
QGF-12008800 b/h0.6 MPa1.8 m3/min13.5 kW380 V / 50 Hz4500 kgReference - conflict flagged

Conflict disclosed: QGF-600, QGF-900 and QGF-1200 are all printed at 800 b/h although their air use, power and weight differ. Do not infer 900 or 1200 b/h from model names.

01

Worked sizing example: a target of 1,600 bottles per day

Illustrative assumptions: an 8-hour shift reserves 1.5 hours for planned cleaning and breaks, leaving 6.5 production hours. At an assumed 80% effective output during those hours, the required reference rate is 1,600 / (6.5 x 0.80) = 307.7 bottles/hour. Round the requirement up to at least 308 BPH before discussing any growth margin. These assumptions are not measured machine performance.

  • A 300 BPH reference gives 1,560 bottles/day under these assumptions: 40 below the target
  • A 400 BPH reference gives 2,080 bottles/day under the same assumptions
  • The catalog QGF-450 entry is 400 b/h, not 450; treat it as a discussion candidate pending bottle, washing and FAT review
  • The 80% factor must not deduct the same 1.5 hours again
  • Confirm preparation, cap supply, operators and discharge can support the selected reference rate
02

Rated speed versus actual output

A reference BPH normally describes a machine under stated test conditions. Actual output is reduced by startup, sanitation, bottle quality, cap supply, operator response, planned breaks, minor stops and the slowest connected module.

  • Record gross and saleable output separately
  • Use a transparent efficiency assumption
  • Check bottle and cap supply reliability
  • Recalculate after real production data exists
03

Choose by business stage

Entry-level operations often value controlled investment and simple labor organization. Growing delivery operations need more repeatable washing and handling. Medium and high-output lines justify automation when route demand, labor and return-bottle control can support it.

  • Current route sales
  • Seasonal peak factor
  • Planned shift expansion
  • Available operators
  • Second-phase modules
04

Check connected equipment before selecting BPH

A faster washer-filler-capper is not a useful purchase if bottle preparation, cap feed or finished-bottle handling cannot support the same reference rate. Request a module-by-module capacity basis before selecting the machine.

  • Empty-bottle preparation rate
  • Wash and fill cycle basis
  • Cap-feed reserve
  • Finished-bottle handling rate
  • Operator and restart assumptions
05

Use catalog data carefully

The supplied catalog provides QGF reference values for an 18.9L and diameter 270 x 490 mm basis. It also prints QGF-600, QGF-900 and QGF-1200 at the same 800 b/h, so those larger references require written factory clarification.

  • Reference is not guarantee
  • 20L must be confirmed separately
  • Voltage and utilities must match the project
  • FAT method defines the accepted result
Q / INPUT

Information needed for a quote

Send the bottle and cap basis, required BPH, bottle path, factory and utility information, destination and any module or support requirement. Unknown items can remain marked “to be confirmed.”

Ask for a Recommended Capacity

FAQ

Short answers, visible boundaries

Project-specific output, hygiene, utilities and service terms belong in the confirmed technical proposal.

How do I estimate bottles per day?

Multiply rated BPH by production hours and expected line efficiency. Treat the result as preliminary and test it against cleaning, changeovers, stops and route demand.

When should a line become fully automatic?

There is no universal threshold. Compare labor, lifting risk, route demand, bottle-return consistency, available space, maintenance capability and future growth.

Can I use the machine name as its capacity?

No. Use the capacity written in the confirmed quotation. The supplied catalog itself contains model-name and capacity inconsistencies on larger references.

Prepared by

Allot Tech Content & Project Coordination
Last reviewed: 2026-09-14. Technical values follow Confirmed, Reference or To Be Confirmed status. Catalog conflicts are disclosed; the signed quotation and technical agreement control the final project.

Contextual next step

Ask for a Recommended Capacity

Send the bottle, cap, output and factory basis. Unknown values can remain open instead of being invented.